Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-07

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The chart below shows the number of households in the US by their annual income in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

The bar graph showcases the amount of US households based on their income per year for the years 2007, 20011 and 2015.

Overall, the number of households with annual income of the two low-level scale increased from 2007 to 2011 after which it decreased marginally. The two middle-level categories showed overall steady pattern. The households with income of more than [redacted phone] dollars reported decrease in 2011 followed by sharp rise, reaching by far the highest figures in 2015.

The number of household with below 25000 income was 25 million in 2007 in comparison to 27 million for category between 25000 to 49999, which increased to around 29 million and 30 million in 2011 followed by marginal fall to around 28 and 29 million in 2015, respectively.

The household with annual income of 50000 to 74999 remained steady at just above 20 million overtime, with marginal increase in between. The household with income between 75000 and 99999 dollars stood at around 15 million in all three years with slight changes.

Households with more than [redacted phone] income accounted for 29 million in 2007, 28 million in 2011 and reaching all time high at around 33 million in 2015.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response gives a clear overview of the main patterns: the two lower-income groups rise to 2011 and then dip slightly, the middle categories are broadly stable, and the $100,000-or-more group peaks in 2015. It also supports these points with figures for all five bands and all three years, so the key features are addressed and generally well selected. Most reported values are close to the chart. One detail to refine is the description of the $75,000–$99,999 group as standing at around 15 million in all years; it is nearer 14–14.5 million in 2007 and 2011, before reaching 15 million in 2015. The overview is effective, though the middle-category comparison could be more precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The organisation is clear: an introduction is followed by an overview and then paragraphs describing the income groups. The progression from lower-income households to middle bands and finally the highest-income group is easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “after which,” and “followed by” help show trends and comparisons. This meets the lower-band expectation of a coherent overall arrangement and shows some flexibility in connecting information. However, several sentences carry multiple figures and changes at once, particularly the sentence beginning “The number of household with below 25000 income,” which makes the comparison less smooth. More consistent parallel phrasing and clearer separation of the two lower-income series would make cohesion more natural and less dependent on repeated sequencing phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response uses an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “marginally,” “remained steady,” “slight changes,” and “all time high,” and the reader can understand the comparisons. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “accounted for.” However, some choices are imprecise or unnatural: “amount of US households” is less suitable than “number of households,” while “low-level scale” and “middle-level categories” are vague descriptions of income bands. The phrase “reported decrease” is also an awkward collocation for chart data. These issues do not prevent understanding, but more precise and natural vocabulary would improve the report’s clarity and flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

There is a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses linked with “after which” and “followed by,” and the main trends remain understandable. Some sentences are controlled, such as “The household with annual income of 50000 to 74999 remained steady…” However, errors in agreement and sentence construction persist: “The number of household … was” should use a plural noun, and “The households … reported decrease in 2011 followed by sharp rise” needs articles and a clearer verb structure. The opening also contains the incorrect year “20011.” These are some grammatical and punctuation inaccuracies rather than barriers to meaning. Greater control of articles, plurals, and complete comparative structures would strengthen accuracy.

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